Butter former



Aug- 4, 1942- w. K. YOUNGBERG .2,291,672

' BUTTER FORMER Filed Feb. 5, 1940 y Patented Aug. 4, 1942 'I UNiTEDf T ES ET? ENT El 2 Claims'.

My invention relates to butter formers.

It has among its objects to provide an improved butter former adapted to produce individual pats for table use. A further object of my invention is to provide such an improved construction adapted to enable a plurality of such pats to be quickly and conveniently formed in each operation and in an improved, simple, and attractive manner. A still further object is to provide improved cooperating and separable forming means for such pats including improved superimposed cooperating forming members one adapted to form the decorative tops and the other the sides of the pats. Other objects are to provide improved means whereby the side forming member is adapted to be readily and conveniently separated from the top forming member, and improved means whereby the former member may be lifted 01T with the nished pats therein and in such manner as to permit the ready ejection of the several finished pats therefrom. Still further objects oi my invention are to provide improved means for guiding the movable forming member relative to the stationary member to insure the desired registry of the cooperating forming portions on the different members, and improved meansv for facilitating the raising of the movable member after the completion of the pats. Still another object of my invention is to provide such an improved device which is Yexceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction and adapted to be readily cleansed, and which is also of such rugged construction as to be adapted to long use in service, while also being so attractive in appearance and interesting and convenient in use as to appeal to the average housekeeper. These and other objects and advantages of my improvedconstruction will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shownl for purposes of illustration one form which my invention may assume in practice.

In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing my improved device in assembled relation ready to receive the butter in the several molds;

Fig. 2 is a detail section on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the upper or movable mold with the formed pats therein, in r-aised position during separation from the lower mold;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View showing the finished pats in process of ejection from said movable mold member, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the finished pats.

In this illustrative construction, I have shown a bottom or stationary formingv member l and an upper or movable cooperating forming member 2 movable relative thereto along guides 3i at the opposite ends of these members, both of these members cooperating in an improved'manner and being of an improved construction, all as hereinafter more fully described.

Referring more particularly to the member I, it will be noted that the same is herein of general oblong-form and in the form of. a plate provided with a plurality of decorative design. forming means 4', hereinshown as of differentdesign and suitably carved or otherwise indented in an upper fiat face 5 of this member. As shown', these means 4' are round in outline and longitudinally spaced along the center line of4 the member I and closer to each other than to thei opposite ends thereof in such manner as toprovide blank ilat end portions 5a on the face 5. Further, it will be noted that herein the guide members 3 are round and suitably fixed toand embedded in the upper face 5 and also disposed on the longitudinal center line of the plate and the designs Il, and centrally located ini the opposite end portions 5a in such manner as to be spaced from the extremities. thereof. Herein alsov it. will be noted that the member: I is provided with downwardly and outwardly bevelled end surfaces along its opposite ends. In. a preferred construction, this member Iis also preferably formed of av hard wood.

Cooperating with this member I i's the movable forming member 2. This member'herein'is of the same general oblongshape andi plate form as the member I and is also preferably formed of wood and providedwith a flat under surfacey i adapted to engage the top surface 5 on the member I. Herein also. this. member 2; is provided with a series of spaced round butter forming' apertures 8. These, as shown, also extend along the longitudinal center line of the member 2 and are disposed concentrically with the design forming means 4. They are also preferably provided with a slight taper or enlargement toward their lower ends, as shown at 8a, in such manner as While enabling the sides of the pats to be formed by the walls of the apertures 8 and to enable the formed pats to be lifted while remaining therein, to facilitate the ejection of the butter pats from the top of this member 2 as hereinafter described. Further, it will be observed that holes 9 are provided in the opposite ends of the member 2 in the longitudinal center line thereof to receive the upwardly projecting fixed guide members or pins 3 on the opposite ends of the member I, while guiding the movement of the member 2 and permitting free movement thereof. Moreover, it will be observed that the extremities of the member 2 are upwardly and outwardly bevelled, as shown at I0, i. e. oppositely bevelled with respect to the bevels 6 on the ends of the member I, while the top surface I I of the member 2 is preferably flat.

In the use of this construction, the parts are assembled as shown in Figure 1, and the butter is forced into the openings 8 until the latter are lled solidly with butter. As a result, the design forming means 4 on the plate I imprint on the bottom of the butter in each opening 8, the design thereof, while the side walls of the openings 8 form the sides of the pats. After the pats have been thus formed, any excess butter can be readily removed from the top surface, as by running the edge of a knife along the fiat top surface II of the member 2. Then it is only necessary to place the forengers in the groove formed by the oppositely disposed cooperating bevels 6 and I0 at the ends of the member I and 2, and with the thumbs on the upper ends of the guide pins 3, then raise the fingers to lift the entire member 2 vertically to clear the guides 3 as shown in Figure 3; the pats remaining therein as shown and being lifted therewith cleanly out of contact with the plate I and design means 4 as the plate 2 moves along the guide pins. Thereupon, with the member 2 still held Ias described at its opposite ends, the pats may be readily ejected by pressing downward on their bottoms or undecorated surfaces, in such manner as to eject them into a suitable receptacle I2, ordinarily containing cold water, and in which the finished pats I3 are stored awaiting use.

As a result of my improved construction, it is made possible not only to make the process of forming individual butter pats more convenient, but also to produce improved pats requiring a minimum of handling and to make the process markedly more interesting. Further, the device is such that a substantial number of individual pats may be very quickly formed, three being formed in the illustrative construction for each required operation of the mold. Attention is also directed to the fact that the structure is such as to make all surfaces readily accessible for cleansing. It will further be evident that the parts be-r ing preferably made of wood, the device is of a character which may be very inexpensively produced, although, if desired, other substances than wood may be utilized. The provision of the pins also makes it possible to form these of synthetic resin or other material, and thereby further increase the attractiveness of the device.

While I have herein specifically described one form Which my invention may assume in practice,

it will be understood that the same is shown for purposes of illustration, and that the invention may be modied and embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a butter pat former for forming individual pats for table use, a lower forming member of substantially the width of an individual pat and having upstanding pins adjacent the opposite ends thereof, and a top cooperating forming member of substantially the dimensions of said lower forming member having apertures receiving said pins and having an open topped butter pat forming aperture between said first mentioned apertures and downwardly facing and inwardly extending surfaces at the end of said top forming member, the total length of the bottom face of said top forming member being less than the total length of the top face of said top forming member, said members being of such length and said butter pat forming aperture being so disposed in said upper member that when the same is held in the hands with the fingers engaging said -downwardly facing and inwardly extending surfaces at the ends of said upper member, the thumbs may engage the tops of said pins to force apart said members and may also be extended over the butter pat forming aperture to force downward the formed pat therein.

2. In a butter pat former for forming a plurality of individual pats for table use, a lower forming member having upstanding pins adjacent the opposite ends thereof, and a top cooperating forming member of substantially the dimensions of said lower forming member havingapertures receiving said pins and having a plurality of open topped butter pat forming apertures between said pin receiving apertures having upwardly and inwardly directed side Walls, said lower and top forming members comprising elongated strips and said lower member having a plurality of design forming means cut in the top surface thereof at spaced points Aalong the same between said pins and registering with said pat forming apertures, said top forming member having its' upper edge projecting outwardly a distance beyond'the upper edge of the lower forming member andfso dimensioned as to permit the operators fingers to enter and engage thereunder, and said lower and Vtop forming members being of such length andsaid pat forming apertures being sodisposed in said top member that, when the latteryis held in the hands with the fingers engaging thereunder, the thumbs may engage the topsf'of said pins to force apart said members and mayalso be extended over the pat forming aperturesgto force downward the formed pats therein.

WALTER'A 

